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BBC News
27-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Blackpool Pleasure Beach reassures visitors after £2.7m losses
Blackpool's Pleasure Beach theme park is reassuring staff and visitors after accounts revealed it had closed some rides and jobs had been lost because of difficult financial conditions. Bosses at the attraction said a review was carried out and action taken to mitigate for the 2023-24 season when the park made a pre-tax loss of £2.7m. A report on its recently published accounts said trading had been difficult because of the cost of living crisis and that had led to a "head count review" and the closure of some smaller month the park said it was closing five less popular rides to allow it to reinvest and later revealed plans for a new £8.72m pendulum ride. The Eddie Stobart Convoy, Alpine Rallye, Thompson Carousel, Gallopers and Red Arrows Skyforce will all be closed during the 2025 season, the theme park has said. 'So tough' It did not reveal how many jobs have gone in the "head count review" but the attraction, which has been open in some form since 1896, said none of the measures taken had been a "knee-jerk" reaction but rather part of a strategic review where all factors have been attraction also said it would be open for more days this year, no more rides would be closed and, as it stands, the same level of seasonal staff will be of the reinvestment includes the new spinning pendulum ride due to open next year that swings as 40 riders face outwards with their legs Smith, of Stay Blackpool, a trade association for holiday accommodation in the area, also moved to reassure people."New rides - even refurbishing rides - cost millions and you are not going to have £20m in your petty cash tin, are you?," she said."So I would imagine that this loss is purely in the accounts."She said it was expected to be a challenging season "purely because the economy is so tough at the moment". Ms Smith said the theme park had, like many businesses, been hit with a "double whammy" of the national insurance and minimum wage increases. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
The Independent
25-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Blackpool Pleasure Beach closes five rides after cost of living hits profits
A popular coastal theme park has reported a £2.7m pre-tax financial loss over the past year, prompting the closure of some smaller rides to make way for brand-new attractions. Entering its 128th year, Blackpool Pleasure Beach has announced that many of its rides will be getting a 'reimagining', such as a makeover or upgrade to keep the rides fresh for its visitors, as well as a brand new pendulum attraction announcement slated to break records. However, the park has reported this is coming off the back of a financial loss, citing the cost-of-living crisis and weather events as the reason. In the park's latest financial accounts, covering a year up to 24 March 2024, there was a loss before tax of £2.7m. The report said that 'trading in the current year has been extremely difficult due to many external factors beyond our control'. It notes the ongoing cost of living crisis is 'depressing non-essential spend', as well as weather remaining a key factor in terms of overall turnover and attendance. A statement in the report said: 'The company has instigated a headcount review and a review of the assets on park. 'As a result, a number of rides will be closed for the forthcoming season. 'We are also looking at how we profile the opening and closing times of both individual rides and the park itself with a view to maximising efficiency (and therefore cost) whilst balancing it with achieving great customer satisfaction.' Opening times for this year will actually be greater than in 2024, adding an extra 68 hours to its total operational hours across 2025. However, changes have been made in the implementation of staggered ride openings, a common industry practice, meaning some rides may open slightly later, usually by periods of 30 minutes. In February, Pleasure Beach said that it had made the decision to close some of its smaller, less popular rides for the 2025 season. These include the Eddie Stobart Convoy, Alpine Rallye, Thompson Carousel, Gallopers and Red Arrows Skyforce. 'The smaller rides were already being run on reduced opening times and our rider data showed that they have some of our lowest throughput, while Skyforce is 10 years old this year,' the park wrote. 'After a great deal of thought, it was clear to us that the right decision is to make changes which will allow us to reinvest into a bigger and better future. 'We announced last year that we are focused on our evolution,' it added. 'That means constantly moving forward, reviewing our offering, and reinvesting – all while holding onto the things that make us special, and we can't wait to show you how some of that evolution will look.' In the report, the company said it will continue to improve its visitor's experience by investing in new attractions and other customer-focused improvements. As part of this, Pleasure Beach has recently announced the launch of a brand new £8.72m ride, which will be the biggest of its kind in the UK. The new giant swinging pendulum, double the size of other similar gyro swings, will be added to the park in 2026, spinning and spinning riders as they reach high points of up to 138 feet. Other existing rides are also getting updates, such as its Ice Blast ride, which will be reintroduced as 'Launch Pad' this spring. Additionally, new scenes from the latest Wallace & Gromit instalment, Vengeance Most Fowl, will be added to its Thrill-O-Matic ride. It also announced that its River Caves ride, a family favourite since 1905, will be the next attraction to receive a refresh. A spokesperson from Pleasure Beach Resort told The Independent: 'It has been a challenging few years of trading across the entire industry, and we have undertaken the necessary actions to continue to offer the same amazing experiences to our guests. They added that there are 'currently no plans to close any further rides'.
BBC News
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Pleasure Beach teases Feathers McGraw update as five rides close
Five "smaller, less popular rides" will be closed this year, Pleasure Beach Resort has theme park also teased a possible Wallace and Gromit ride update, saying the team "loved" the Vengeance Most Fowl film and advised visitors to "stay tuned".Eddie Stobart Convoy, Alpine Rallye, Thompson Carousel, Gallopers and Red Arrows Skyforce will all be closed during the 2025 season, the Blackpool theme park has said."The smaller rides were already being run on reduced opening times and our rider data showed that they have some of our lowest throughput," the theme park said in a statement on its website. "After a great deal of thought, it was clear to us that the right decision is to make changes which will allow us to reinvest into a bigger and better future."Pleasure Beach Resort said Ice Blast, which closed for refurbishment last year, will also reopen this year as Launch ride will keep the original format, shooting seated riders vertically into the sky, but will be "more thrilling, immersive and dynamic", the park Grand National will also have a "short period of downtime" ahead of its 90th birthday."As a much older ride, Grand National is in need of extra care to keep her running at her best, so ahead of her birthday we need to carry out some essential maintenance," the theme park said."The nature of this maintenance, coupled with her age, meant it wasn't possible to do during the closed season." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram.
